


silver memories

by Space_Samurai



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Memories, Pensieves, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25830274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Samurai/pseuds/Space_Samurai
Summary: MACUSA managed to take some of Grindelwald’s memories during his captivity.When they return from Paris, Theseus and Newt get to look at them.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Comments: 14
Kudos: 173





	silver memories

Newt barely hears the woman’s explanations, then again, he doesn’t have to. They are meant for Theseus to hear, _he_ ’s only here as a courtesy from President Picquery. Everything is still raw between them, the loss of Leta fresh and burning. They’ve just returned from Paris and Grindelwald’s victory at the rally hangs over them like a dark cloud.

“Nobody was allowed to review the memories or touch the Pensieve,” the Auror continues. “After the escape— well, the President didn’t know who to trust.” And Theseus, who had just lost his fiancé to the man, had proven trustworthy. Newt follows him with his head down, mind elsewhere. He doesn’t want to be here. He wants to go back to his apartment in London, where Jacob and Tina are staying.

He feels like they go through a dozen doors and checkpoints before they actually enter the chamber. It’s hardly bigger than a vault at Gringotts, with no furniture or windows, just a marble Pensieve emitting a silvery light. Inside of it, liquid memories swirl around.

“What are we hoping to find?” Theseus inquired. Newt almost flinches at the sound of it. He had been so silent through the journey back to America and the few times he spoke it had been quietly.

“Apparently most of his thoughts were of music when he was being searched by our best Legilimens.” She snorted. “Nothing but Vivaldi to be found in his head.”

“So?”

“When the Legilimens failed… Madam Picquery insisted we try another methods.” At that, Newt actually flinched. What a curious way to say they had tortured the man, he thought. While he wanted Grindelwald gone as much as anyone else, he couldn’t imagine casting a _cruciatus_ against the man. “His barriers broke, for a bit. That’s all we could find.” She pointed at the Pensieve.

Newt couldn’t make out anything clear, other than sunlight and vast green expanses. He wondered where Grindelwald’s mind went while under distress and then he wondered if actually wanted to know. Oh, how he wished he could back out and leave Theseus to it. Even if hadn’t been Grindelwald, looking through other’s memories –which had been unwillingly taken from them- chilled his blood. It felt like watching Tina’s memories in the death potion.

“Have you ever used one of these?” Theseus asked and Newt looked up, only then realizing they had been left alone. He shook his head.

“I don’t like the idea of being in another’s head.” He answered. The light shone against Theseus tired face.

“Then let’s be done with this quickly,” he said and gripping the edges of the Pensieve, he took a deep breath and submerged his head into the basin. Newt followed.

It was a terribly odd feeling, to be sucked in by the Pensieve. Newt was well used to odd textures because of his creatures, but he couldn’t describe the feeling with exactitude. It was like falling through a waterfall of midst, if that made any sense. Close to him was Theseus, who stabilized himself by grabbing his elbow.

For a second, they were in a dark room, before landing on a classroom. A man was screaming in a language Newt couldn’t understand.

“Where are we?” He asked, but Theseus’s eyes were on the boy before them.

Blonde and with mismatching eyes, though with a face softened by youth, stood none other than Grindelwald. He was wearing a uniform.

“This Durmstrang.” Theseus realized. The boy casted a curse and in the wall bloomed his mark. A smile formed in his face, one that made him look like the current Grindelwald, and the memory was over.

“Was… Was that it?”

“No, I don’t think—“And they were falling once more.

This time prepared, both brothers landed steadily on their feet. Heat hit them both like a punch, sunlight bathing their faces. They were in a meadow and Newt recognized the green grasses from before. It was definitely summer.

“Why would Grindelwald think of this while being tortu— interrogated?” Newt pretended not to notice the slip.

“Maybe it’s comforting?” Though Grindelwald hardly seemed like the kind of man who’d be comforted by a sunny weather and nature, Newt could understand taking his mind to a pleasant place to escape the current situation.

Theseus never got to answer because someone laughed loudly behind them.

They turned around. Two boys were sitting under an elder tree; a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans between them, along books and other sweets. One of them was Grindelwald and he laughed loudly as the other one, a redhead, gagged. He spat something on the ground, which only made Grindelwald laugh louder.

“It wasn’t green apple, was it?” He asked when he finally got his laughter under control.

The redhead glared at him. “It was vomit, I fear.” He spoke with a disturbingly familiar voice. Newt felt his eyes widen as he realized who he was.

A smile was still gracing Grindelwald’s lips. “Would you like another?”

“I think I’m done with those,” he declared looking down at the box.

“Chocolate frog?” Grindelwald offered and Albus Dumbledore took it.

Newt looked at his brother, whose face was gray. As if the sight of the man he admired laughing along the greatest threat to the Wizarding World was too much for him to bear. Newt himself had to remind himself that he already knew of their past closeness, though knowing about it and seeing it were different things.

“Who did you get?”

“Morgana. I only have about thirty of hers, do you want it?”

“No thank you, I plan to collect them once my face starts to show up in them.” Dumbledore grinned at his words.

“I’ll get there first, I bet you.”

“Ten galleons that you won’t.”

“Done.”

It was uncomfortable, Newt decided, to see his teacher as a boy. And even _more_ uncomfortable to see him interacting with Grindelwald.

“So this is where Grindelwald goes when he’s under duress.” Theseus sneered. Newt watched him carefully. “They seem close.”

“They aren’t anymore,” he felt the need to point out.

“They were once.”

The memory faded to black and they found themselves in the midst once more.

“I don’t think we’ll find anything here, Theseus—“

“I want to keep looking.”

“They are just childhood memories.”

“If we keep moving forward then we’ll get to his adulthood eventually.” He was resolved to see through them. Newt stayed silent as blue light fell over them. Then, a _lumos_ was casted by their side.

They were in the streets, it was nighttime. Grindelwald’s wand illuminated his face and the brothers followed his gaze to the house before them. One of the windows opened and Dumbledore climbed down from it until he was a foot above the ground, jumping and landing nimbly.

“Put that away, the Muggles could see you.” Their former –or _future_?- professor urged him.

“It’s nice seeing you too,” Grindelwald said. “And it’s three o’clock, there’s no one out but you and me—“

“Which we shouldn’t be and we can hardly be the only two young men who aren’t where they are supposed to be.” The light was gone.

“Happy?”

“Very much.” Grindelwald huffed, though his teeth shone in the dark as he smiled.

Once more, Newt couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were seeing something private. Even if it was something as innocent as two friends sneaking out for some nightly mischief.

“Theseus—“

The memory flashed forward and they found themselves once more under the shadow of the elder tree. It was still dark and there was a glass bottle in Grindelwald’s hands, while Dumbledore held two glasses. Even through the fog of the memory, the stench of firewhiskey burned his nose. Newt almost coughed, he had never grown fond of the drink.

“Think President Picquery could charge Dumbledore and Grindelwald with underage drinking?” He asked dryly and Theseus’s face grew tight.

“Travers is the one who wanted Dumbledore in chains,” he said as he watched the boys down the glasses with a grimace. “You might question his methods, but everything he does is—“

“For the greater good?” Theseus eyes turned cold. He said nothing.

“How can people drink this for fun?” Albus complained.

“It’s for the effect,” Grindelwald said as he leaned onto him, getting comfortable against his shoulder. “A man shouldn’t overindulge— but once in a while it’s fine.”

“In the company of friends.”

“Or just one friend. I don’t have any others, Albus. There’s just you.”

“I wonder why—“

“Friends must be equals.” There it was, the gleam in his eyes made him look less like the young man he was and more like the fearsome wizard Newt had faced in Paris. “I’m yet to meet anyone else I can call my equal.”

“Travers said that,” Theseus whispered. “Everyone knows that Dumbledore is the only one who could ever face him and stand a chance. I just never thought—“ He gestured at them, cozy and at ease.

Newt understood. It would’ve been much easier if they had only been drawn to each other because of their power, which is what many believed, but after seeing them like this… There was no doubt that they had once cared for each other.

Newt didn’t mention the blood pact.

“How special I must be, that Gellert Grindelwald calls me his equal,” there was just the faintest mockery in his words, the teasing of a friend.

“You are,” the blonde assured, his voice slurring. The effects of the firewhiskey seemed to be kicking in. “One of a kind.” He went to serve himself more, but Albus stopped him with a hand.

“Have one more and I’ll have to carry you back.”

“I don’t mind.”

“ _I_ mind!” Dumbledore snorted. “What would your aunt say if she saw you like this?”

“That is my aunt’s problem.” He yawned, eyes fluttering.

“Truly, why do you drink if you know you can’t handle it?” Grindelwald didn’t answer, only leaned closer. “We should go back.”

“We should stay,” he pulled him down. “ _Ich bin nicht müde._ “

“I don’t speak Hungarian.”

“That was German, now be silent; I have a headache.” Dumbledore rolled his eyes, but he stayed still, letting Grindelwald lay half across him. The man must have fallen asleep, because the memory faded to black.

“This is wrong.” Newt declared shakily. Something felt… odd. “I don’t think we should keep watching. I mean it.”

Theseus shook his head. “Why do you keep insisting? Just what do you think we are going to see?”

“Professor Dumbledore’s memories, which are _private_.” He stressed. He wondered what was next, if they’d get to see them swearing never to fight one another. “It’s not even allowed to look into someone else’s Pensieve—“

“But this isn’t Dumbledore’s Pensieve,” Theseus said softly. “They aren’t even his memories, they are Grindelwald’s. He just happens to be in them.” Newt’s stomach twisted. Once more, he found himself wishing to be back in London.

“Are you familiar with the work of Oscar Wilde?” They now found themselves in a room. Dumbledore was sitting against the headboard, a cup of tea in his hand and plenty of books splattered around him.

“Excuse me?” There was something vaguely alarmed in his eyes.

“Oscar Wilde.” Grindelwald repeated, holding a book. “A Muggle writer.”

“I am. I cannot say I expected you to be.”

“Why is that?”

His lips twitched. “As you are so fond of them…”

“As much as _you_ are, Albus.”

Newt felt nauseous. He thought of Jacob, a Muggle. He couldn’t stand to hear Professor Dumbledore, a man who had always pushed to erase the divide between the Muggleborn and the rest of the students, profess the same bigotry as Grindelwald.

Something darkened in the eyes of the future professor.

“I do not think them inferior, in fact, I believe we’ve had this conversation—“

“Then let’s not have it again.” Grindelwald cut him swiftly. “Let’s not get into politics, I mean to talk you about books.”

“Fine then, speak.” The corner of his lips twitched, as if Grindelwald was fighting a smile.

“Actually, I wanted your help with a translation.”

Dumbledore’s eyebrows rose. “My German leaves much to be desired.”

“I know, but still. I’d appreciate your help.” He extended the book to Dumbledore, who took it and read the underlined part. His face grew a deathly pale and it took a while before he looked back at Grindelwald, whose face was a mask of indifference. “Albus?”

“You…” He coughed in his sleeve and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you mean to mock me with this?”

“I would never.” Grindelwald held his gaze steadily. “You _know_ I wouldn’t.”

Dumbledore’s face grew red. Newt’s neck began to itch. Theseus turned to look at him.

“What do you think it says?”

Newt never got to answer, frozen and staring as Grindelwald took a step forward and sat in front of Dumbledore. He could swear he saw his hands shaking. The other remained stiff.

“Unless I’ve misunderstood something?”

“I- I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I would’ve brought Sappho’s poems, but we are not women.” What Newt would’ve called a nervous laugh escaped Grindelwald’s lips. “Should I spell it out for you, Albus?”

The young man took a deep breath and one of his hands made his way to the back of Grindelwald’s head. After sharing a look, Dumbledore pulled him down to meet his lips. The blonde sighed against him before wrapping his arms around him.

Theseus gasped and Newt looked away in respect. His eyes met Theseus’s.

“Take me back,” he declared without waiting for his brother’s reaction.

He felt like he was about to faint by the time he was out of the Pensieve. Theseus arrived right after him.

“That is what you wanted to see?” Sweat was gathering under his arms and neck.

Theseus’s cheeks reddened. “How could I’ve known—?”

“We shouldn’t have kept looking when we saw Professor Dumbledore in them—“

“You think I wanted to catch them in something like— like _that_?” Rather than red, Newt realized, Theseus looked vaguely green. “Did you know about this?”

Newt’s thoughts went to the blood pact Grindelwald had carried above his heart, the one Professor Dumbledore was now restlessly trying to destroy so he could go face his former… friend? Lover?

“I didn’t know.” And even if he had known, he still wouldn’t have said a word about it. It wasn’t his secret to tell. “What’s going to happen now?”

“Travers will want to hear about this. Madame Picquery won’t allow the Ministry to take credit for the information, so she’ll be told as well—“

“You plan to make this _public_?”

Theseus didn’t squirm under his gaze. “This is quite the discovery. We know little to nothing about Grindelwald’s past and now we have this—“

“Have you thought about how this might affect Professor Dumbledore?”

At that, Theseus had the decency to look away. “I doubt they’ll prosecute him for his past dalliances…”

“He’ll never teach again!” Newt could already imagine the pure-blood members of the schoolboard, clutching their wands in outrage at the news, while secretly supporting Grindelwald all the same. “You’ll brand him a traitor and make him a pariah.” He wouldn’t allow that. “Theseus please, this means nothing.”

“ _Nothing_?”

Newt pleaded with his eyes, but Theseus’s were unyielding.

“I know how much he means to you… But I cannot hide this. It goes beyond me.”

“Does it?”

 _Loyal and just_ , Newt thought. Professor Dumbledore had been the only one to vouch for him when he got expelled from Hogwarts. And even if he hadn’t—

Newt looked down at the marble Pensieve and uttered: “ _Bombarda maxima_.”

Theseus didn’t move quick enough to stop him, the artifact was blown to pieces and the silvery liquid was in the walls and roof, memories soon gone and vanished.

“Newt,” Theseus said carefully.

“I won’t let you,” Newt warned. “ _Obliviate!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Newt is chaotic good, but we already knew that.
> 
> Any thoughts?


End file.
